After Midnight
by ashisfriendly
Summary: Carly starts to see Freddie differently on the way home from a New Year's Eve party. Written for 5432's Celebrations Challenge. Big thanks to Mizufae for putting up with me.


"Maybe we should help clean."

Carly tip-toed around red plastic cups and sleeping bodies with Freddie close behind. She stopped in front of a broken beer bottle and bent down to collect the pieces.

"Be careful." Freddie warned above her.

"Yes, sir." Carly navigated around the obstacle course of people, bottles, and cans to the nearest trash bag. She dropped the glass into the bag, and cringed at the sound of the pieces clinking. She glanced around, but luckily no one reacted.

She looked around the room and started to grab cups and noise makers. She pulled the garbage bag behind her as she walked around the room removing trash from the floor.

"I don't think we need to do that." Freddie whispered as Carly tried to pick up confetti from the floor. "Let's just go. Sam's mom wont be home for a couple days and Sam is passed out." Freddie nodded toward the corner where Sam laid with her mouth open as she slept, her legs sprawled across Griffin's lap.

Carly let go of the garbage bag and looked at her friend. "Oh, Sam."

Freddie disappeared down the hall and emerged seconds later with their jackets.

"There's naked bodies in there." Freddie handed Carly her jacket and started to put on his own.

Carly pulled on her jacket and smoothed her dark purple dress. Pleased with how she looked she pushed her hair out of her face and looked at Freddie.

He was focused on a small stain that had appeared at the bottom of his shirt, rubbing it vigorously with his thumb. Carly watched Freddie's hands work at the stain, with no success.

"I'm sure your mom can get it out." Carly giggled.

"It's not the difficulty of getting the stain out of this shirt, it's what this stain _is_." He shuddered.

Freddie gave up and grabbed the bottom of his jacket and pushed it in front of the stain, shielding it from her view. Carly noticed Freddie's copper brown leather jacket for the first time that night. His shirt collar was trapped underneath the edge of it, which brushed up against his neck. Freddie's smooth skin peeked from behind it, and she watched his adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

"What?" Freddie asked as he opened the front door.

"Uh." Carly blinked and looked up. "Nothing, just, where did you get that jacket? I've never seen it before."

"Oh." Freddie smoothed a hand down his jacket and shrugged. "I got it for Christmas."

They stepped out in the crisp Seattle air, the familiar smell of wet concrete engulfing them. Freddie took a step in front of her and squinted his eyes as he looked up to the sky. Carly had never taken an interest in Freddie's shoulders, but she had never noticed how strong they seemed. The street lights created a contoured line around his upper body that she wanted to trace with her hand. He pushed his shoulders up, covering his neck from the cold. He looked behind him, his eyes meeting hers, knocking her out of the trance.

Carly started towards him and they began their short walk to the bus stop. As they walked, the faint sounds of fireworks and celebrating in the distance distracted her from staring at him. She looked down at her feet noticing her new gold heels starting to scrunch her toes.

"My feet hurt." Carly mumbled.

The bus reached the curb in sync with them and Freddie motioned for her to go first. She walked up the steps and took the first seat she could find, avoiding eye contact with the other passengers. Freddie sat next to her and looked down at her feet as the bus started forward.

"Well, that's what you get for wearing those." He smiled.

"Oh come on, you think they're cute." Carly wiggled her foot.

Freddie smirked at her with a shrug and she felt her heart skip.

"Just take them off, then." Freddie concluded.

"Ew! Bus feet!" Carly pushed him.

Freddie laughed. His face scrunched into a toothy smile, his dimples catching her eye. She noticed his eyes watching her and quickly looked away. She felt him shift in his seat and reach into his back pocket.

"Look what I stole."

Carly looked back at Freddie holding a green party blower. She giggled at him as he stuck it in the side of his mouth, his grin peeking out from behind his lips. The street lights shone through the bus windows, catching the peach of his smile just enough to catch her eye. He pouted around the mouthpiece and blew, the tip of the blower hitting her nose.

She swatted it away but he kept attacking her with the noise maker. Their laughter filled the bus until Freddie glanced out the window and he stopped.

"We passed our stop." Freddie grabbed the pull-cord and they jumped out of the bus at the next stop.

They began to backtrack towards Bushwell. Carly frowned down at her feet and stopped. "My feet hurt." She whined.

Freddie rolled his eyes playfully. "Just take them off."

"Ew, sidewalk feet." She began to walk again but the burning of the balls of her feet made her limp.

"Carly, just take them off."

"No."

"The sidewalk isn't that dirty."

"Nope."

"Carly."

"No."

"Fine." Freddie skipped in front of her and stopped her.

Before she could say anything, she was being hoisted onto his shoulder. Her face hit the small of his back, the smell of the leather jacket engulfing her.

"Hey! You can't lift me up."

"Apparently I can."

The extra weight he was carrying was hardly an trouble as Freddie began the walk towards their home. Carly tried to grab the bottom of her skirt to make sure all of Seattle wasn't peeping at her. Her squirming made Freddie stumble, making her scream.

"You're gonna drop me." She steadied herself by grabbing his waist.

"I wouldn't drop you." Freddie assured.

"I'll take off my shoes."

"I'm already carrying you, just enjoy the ride." Freddie tightened his grip around her waist.

Freddie swatted her hands away as she tried to reach for her shoes. Freddie stumbled along the sidewalk causing Carly's screams to bounce off the buildings. She tried to grab her shoes again, finally grabbing one heel and pulling it off, almost hitting Freddie in the face. She felt her body slip off his shoulder as he grabbed her.

"You're making this harder than it needs to be." Freddie warned.

Carly held the shoe in her hand and she reached for the other. She caught a glimpse of Bushwell in the distance as she grabbed the other heel and pulled it off. Carly smiled triumphantly as she looked at her shoes in her hands.

"Freddie, put me down. Hobos might see my panties. Put me down." She demanded. "Keep your eyes forward, Fredward Benson."

Carly felt him bend forward as he started to let her down. She grabbed the bottom of her dress and once her feet touched the wet ground, made sure she was properly covered. She pushed her hair out of her face, revealing Freddie, adjusting his jacket, his hair an untidy mess. Her fingers loosened their grip on her shoes when his eyes met hers.

They stood silently, the sound of cars driving past filling the air. His eyes were soft as he held her gaze. She felt his fingers tangle themselves with hers, and she broke their stare to looked at them. His touch was warm as he slowly traced his thumb around the top of her hand, his fingers lacing around hers.

She let out a breath as Freddie cupped her chin in his hands. She caught a glimpse of his eyes before they fluttered closed and he captured her mouth with his. Carly's knees gave out from under her, Freddie wrapping his arm around her waist for support. Her shoes hit the ground with a thud and her hand found it's way to the nap of his neck. She pushed towards him hungrily, but felt his weight slide from under her. Their lips separated while their noses touched.

Freddie let out an unsteady breath. "I, um, Carly, this, you... I mean...."

Carly giggled.

Freddie smoothed his thumb over the apple of her cheek. "I like this."

Freddie kissed her temple and pressed her body against him. Carly's head rested on his shoulder where she smelt the mixture of shampoo and leather. The streets were quiet and she could feel Freddie's heartbeat against her chest.

A car horn startled them both and Carly pulled away from him. Freddie put a protective arm around her waist as they both looked towards the street. Two yelling, obnoxious teenage boys hung out of the backseat window. Carly tried to make out what they were saying but it seemed to be only slurs and suggestive hand gestures.

Carly looked at Freddie and he shrugged, his mouth breaking into a smile. He looked down at the sidewalk, bent down and grabbed Carly's gold heels. She thanked him with a smile as he grabbed her hand.

"Let's go home."


End file.
